River Road / El Camino Del Rio Elementary School Eugene School District 4J School District | Eugene, OR
River Road/El Camino del Rio was designed in conjunction with Howard Elementary School, another school in the Eugene School District. The two schools have similar design principals and reasoning but differ in their layout because of their locations and site variations.
This elementary school design focuses on being flexible for differentiated learning styles of students, and creates spaces that can respond to a variety of concurrent instructional activities. There are spaces that facilitate individual learning and others meant for open, group engagement. Design of the school includes classroom neighborhoods with extended learning areas at the center of each. Transparent windows at the entry of each classroom allows for viewing internal activities and extended learning or group activities outside the classroom.
A main feature of the school is the double-height media center at “the heart” of the school. Views from the media center to the outdoor learning areas allow for connection to nature and monitoring of outdoor activity. After hours, the gymnasium and cafeteria are accessible via a lobby shared with the rest of the school. A retractable gate allows for separation from the rest of the school to facilitate safe community access.
This school design was a collaboration with PIVOT architecture.